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Catch crops, also commonly referred to as cover crops, are nothing new. Already used extensively in cropping, they are traditionally sown in autumn to provide feed over winter for stock, conserve nutrients and reduce weeds, water runoff and soil erosion.

The autumn period has again produced a consistent spell of warmer weather and with a steady stream of regular rainfall, we are set up heading into winter. Soil temperature has remained consistent, although the cold spell currently should slow pasture growth. Feed surpluses have been good in the latter part of autumn and the drier conditions earlier had meant irrigation remained on through mid-autumn.

Is magnesium (Mg) important for winter wheat yields and quality, and what’s the best course of action if a deficiency occurs?

Between them, Ruralco Arable & Pastoral Representatives Ricky Brown and Steve Lawson are looking forward to delivering a personable and knowledgeable start to the new season.

Look back and plan ahead to get the most from your autumn sown cereal crop.

Autumn is on its way following a favourable summer, especially for cropping farmers who have been able to complete much of their harvest with limited weather delays. There have been some extreme temperatures with some regular rainfall, particularly in late February, seen in time to provide relief for dryland farmers.

Spring has once again delivered a variety of weather conditions. After a prolonged wet period through winter and early spring, the latter part delivered some warmer weather drying things out to the extent that irrigation was underway earlier than it had been over the last couple of years.

It’s been 30 years since Barenbrug Agriseeds became the first private company in the southern hemisphere to start researching and developing novel ryegrass endophytes.

One of the many things that New Zealand arable farmers do very, very well, is adapting to change. New crops, new markets, new rules and regulations…been there, done that, got it sorted. For this reason, it’s easy for them to respond to concerns about the impacts of climate change with an “it’ll be alright on the night” mentality.

Nitrogen side-dressings encourage a good, strong canopy on summer crops and improve yields.